Thug high on cocaine held up cabbie at knifepoint for just £20
A DAD robbed a taxi driver at knifepoint for just £20 with a pal half his age after they ran out of cocaine during a drugs binge.
Craig Hatch, 40, who calls himself ‘The Horrible Hatch’ on social media, left his victim fearing for his life following the ordeal in Oldham last year.
The dad-of-one and his codefendant Leon Setterfield, 22, were high on cocaine as they concocted their ‘unsophisticated’ plan, a court heard. They rang a taxi firm to pick them up at 1.30am on November 27, 2018.
Prosecutor Lisa Boocock told Minshull Street Crown Court: “The taxi driver picked up these defendants, with Hatch sat in the rear side and Setterfield in the front.
“Setterfield extended his hand towards the driver who initially thought he wanted to shake his hand and then saw the defendant had a brown, rusty blade in his hand.
“Setterfield put the blade to the driver’s neck and said ‘give me the money.’
Hatch also put something sharp in the back of his neck and demanded money. “The driver handed over £20 and Hatch asked for more, saying ‘give us the notes.’ But the driver said that was all he had.”
Police were called and officers found the pair hiding in the home of Hatch’s father.
Hatch later claimed he had been diagnosed with a ‘drug induced psychosis’ due the split with his ex-partner.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the taxi driver said: “If I didn’t have any money I could have been killed. I had a friend who was killed by his passenger who was sat behind him, I thought the exact same thing was going to happen to me.
‘’I’ve been working as a taxi driver for 23 years and this is the first time this had happen to me. I’m just trying to earn a living in my community. If I can’t feel safe I won’t provide this service – taking people to the airport or the hospital.
Hatch was jailed for five years and three months after he admitted robbery and having a bladed article. Leon Setterfield, 22, of Oldham, was jailed for 12 years and ten months after he admitted the robbery plus an unrelated offence of wounding with intent following a knife attack against a fellow prison inmate.
Judge Tina Landale said: “This was a very serious offence of robbery by knifepoint on a taxi driver – a vulnerable person.”